Safe construction



Nov. 27, 1951 R. w. LEDBETTER SAFE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 14, 1948INVENTOR. 11W I.- 2 cl]: a l er Construction.

Patented Nov. 27 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFE CONSTRUCTIONRalph W. Ledbetter, Anniston, Ala. Application May 14, 1948, Serial No.27,135 1 Claim. (01. 109-24) a This invention relates-to-safes in whichvaluables can be kept for storage and safely against theft, and fire,the same being a division of my co-pending application Serial Number675,620, filed June 10, 1946, now abandoned, for Safe The principalobject of the'invention is to provide a safe capable of beinginexpensively manufactured and intended primarily for home or personaluse, wherein, due to its weight and capa- ,Another object of theinvention is to provide a safe whichfcan be readily molded into generalform through the utilization of a metal jar, bottle or other liner,which in ultimate use will serve as the inner wall for the safe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safe construction ofsubstantially heavy weight, which can be either embedded in a wall orpositioned adjacent some readily immovable structure and to which thesame is attached in a secure manner.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a method wherebyconcrete safes can be constructed by utilizing a jar, bottle or otherreceptacle as the core in molding the general construction and whereinthe jar, bottle or receptacle will define the valuables receivingchamber of the safe in the ultimate use of the structure.

These and various other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the safe;

Figure 2 is across section taken substantially on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken substantially online 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view showing the manner inwhich one end of the securing chain is anchored.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 5 denotes a jar or bottle or in factany other suitable receptacle which can be of metal, crockery or glass,and this receptacle is first positioned in a mold, suitably elevatedfrom the bottom thereof, and around this receptacle is arrangedindividual or a continuous reinforcing rod 6, extending across thebottom, around the side and to the neck I of the receptacle.

A suitable form is used and imposed against the neck I of thereceptacle, when pouring the concrete, so as to afford an outwardlyflaring port 2 8, through which'access maybe had to the neck I of thereceptacle 5.

When the concrete has been poured, allowed to set and removed from themold (not shown), a

block 9 of concrete serves as an encasing body for the receptacle 5,this affording considerable weight, to make it impracticable to becarried, in-

sofar as weight is concerned.

Should the block 9 be broken, it would still be difficult to gain accessto the receptacle 5, due to the presence of the reinforcing endprotecting rod orrodsG;

A closure block ID of concrete, reinforced by rods II at its innermostside portion is adapted to fit into, the flaring port 8'.

It is preferable that the front side of.the block 9 be provided with afacing frame i2, inwardly of which plates l3 are disposed forming ametallic surfacing for the walls of the port 8. Pins or bolts I4 aredisposed through openings in the plates I3 and into the concrete block 9where anchoring elements l5 are provided, it being obvious that theframe 12 with its plate portions I 3 are placed in position with theanchoring bolts l4 and members I5, before the concrete is poured.

Like bolts l6 and anchoring elements I! are provided for a frontmetallic plate 18, disposed against the front side of the closure blockl0.

Suitably anchored in the block 9 or secured to the metallic frame I2 isa hasp [9 through which the shackle of a padlock 20 is disposable, thispadlock having a chain 2| disposed therefrom and connected to an I-boltor the like 22, embedded as at 23 in the concrete block 9.

Obviously, this chain 2| may be disposed around a water or drain pipe orsome other permanent structure to preclude the possibility of the safebeing removed by an unauthorized person.

The front plate l8 carries a laterally projecting tongue 24 having aslot therein for receiving the hasp l9, outside of which, the padlock 20is disposed in its connection with the hasp, thus allowing for the useof the padlock in not only maintaining the closure block l0 in place,but also embracing a water pipe, drain pipe or some other permanentstructure to prevent easy transportation of the safe from itspredetermined site.

At the opposite end of the closure block ID from the padlock, are hinges25 which have anchoring means 26 embedded in the block 9.

,I'he ends of the block 9 may be molded to form hand receiving recesses21, whereby the safe can be manually lifted.

"and closely overlying the =walls'of 'said opening,

ing the chamber, leaving a substantially rough interior. Further, byleaving the receptacle 5 within the concrete block, the operation ofl-constructing the safe is considerably simplified with incidentalmitigation of expense.

If desired, air spaces may heprovidedrinthe wall of the safe and theclosure 28 "for'the neck of the bottle may be such as to maketlre:ch'amber substantially waterrand vaporproof. lDue-to =thetconcreteexternal construction of the safe, the safe is substantially fireproof.and its weight :makes it impracticable .-for the. structure tobereasily -moved .bytan unauthorized per- .son fromronepoint to another.7

(If desired, openings can :be :left in the bottom of thelsafefor'receiving .castersor rollers inorder that the same can betransportedrby safermovers rormother authorized persons. 1

whilelthe foregoing description sets forth the lfromrthe spiritand-scope of the invention-as claimed hereinafter.

v .lHaving-describedthe.invention whatis claimed A safe comprising areceptacle having a reduced neck, said neck defining an entrance to saidreceptacle, a block of protective material surrounding the receptacleand having an entrance opening in the forward wall encompassing saidneck and into which the neck protrudes for a relatively short distance,said opening having flat inwardly converging walls, a cover plate forsaid forward wall, surface plates extending inwardly' from "the innercage-s of said a cover plate a closure for said opening, said closurehaving W -an inner face for snug disposition against the .-free :end ofthe neck when the closure is in closed'position and having side 'facesfor like said closure, said last-mentioned surface plate being in closeregistry with the inner edges of the cover plate twhen the-nclosure.is:inclosedgposiition.

.RALBH LEDBETTER;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecordlinzthe -file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name .Date

13351183 Comstock Jan. "21, .1873 11132307 Thompson Oct. 13,19141,435199 Blair Nov. 14,1922 1,500,977 Witty July f8, 1924 1919,64?wBelknap a. Julyi'25, 1933

